Cypriots unaware of travel rights amid rise in complaints, association says

The Cyprus Consumers Association (CCA) has reported a significant uptick in complaints this summer, primarily targeting airline services, according to the association’s legal officer Virginia Christou.

In addition, she pointed out that a substantial number of Cypriots are unaware of their travel rights, calling for better consumer education and awareness.

Christou highlighted a sharp rise in grievances since the beginning of June, telling local outlet Stockwatch that “the number of complaints received by the association has risen sharply and mainly concern problems with their travel, both organised and unorganised”.

The bulk of these issues involve flight cancellations, delays, mishandled baggage, and discrepancies in the details of package tours, marking an unprecedented period for complaints against airlines, travel agents and agencies.

Christou explained that the CCA is currently focused on providing advisory services while gathering data for a forthcoming biannual report.

This report, she explained, aims to compare the current complaint trends with those of the previous year.

“At this stage, as usual, the association provides advisory services to consumers who face problems with their travel,” Christou said.

At the same time, she noted that the association is processing relevant data, which will be made public during the presentation of the biannual report on the association’s actions and complaints received, compared to the same period last year.

In light of the anticipated strike by air traffic controllers at the France-Germany hubs, Christou noted that no complaints related to this issue had been filed yet.

However, she did mention that many of the grievances specifically concern a particular Cyprus-based airline operating flights across Europe.

On the regulatory front, Christou clarified that the Department of Civil Aviation of each EU member state is responsible for handling such complaints, a mandate set by the European passenger rights regulation, which addresses issues like flight delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.

Regarding compensation, Christou stated that “for delayed flights, the payout is calculated based on distance rather than the duration of inconvenience, ranging from €250 to €600“.

“Under the Montreal Convention, compensation for baggage-related compensation can go up to €1200,” she added.

Addressing package travel, Christou said that “the Law on Organised Travel and Related Travel Arrangements obliges the organiser to provide the consumer with accurate information about the proposed package, such as transport, accommodation, food, the itinerary, as well as insurance issues before the conclusion of the contract, and protection against insolvency”.

She added that alterations in the conditions of a package tour could entitle travellers to compensation from the organiser. 

The issue of overcrowded flights also looms large, with Christou saying that “passengers can claim compensation in the event of an overcrowded flight, where they are informed at the last minute that they cannot travel”.

In such instances, she explained, consumers have the right to request a rescheduled flight at no additional cost. She said that this year, complaints regarding overcrowded flights are particularly high.

Christou also drew attention to an EU survey indicating that a significant majority of Cypriots, about 61 per cent, are unaware of their travel rights, which underscores the pressing need for better consumer education and awareness.

“The average number of European citizens who said they were not informed about their rights was 63 per cent but indicated that at least half of these passengers said they would proceed with a complaint to the competent authorities against the airlines,” Christou concluded.